Indicating instrument with lighting means



April 12, 1966 A. J. WHITE INDICATING INSTRUMENT WITH LIGHTING MEANSFiled July 29, 1964 [III 7 INVENTOR.

United States Patent fice 3,246,134 INDICATING INSTRUMENT WITH LIGHTINMEANS Andrew J. White, Newmarket P.0., South Lee, N.H.

Filed July 29, 1964, Ser. No. 385,926

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-21) Reference is made to my pending patentapplication Serial No. 359,141, filing date April 13, 1964, pending inGroup 430.

This invention relates to an indicating instrument that has lightingmeans.

One object of my invention is to provide an indicating instrument havinglighting means so positioned as to clearly illuminate the dial or dialsto be read.

Another object is to provide such an instrument that is especiallyadaptable for night driving of an automobile by so constructing theparts that glare is avoided even though the instrument may be mounted indifferent angular positions.

A further object is to provide a lens with light transmitting membersextending angularly to the main face of the lens and through which lightmay be transmitted through a small overhead space to make the instrumentdial clearly visible.

A still further object is to provide such lighting means that isrelatively inexpensive to manufacture and install in an instrument toindicate operating conditions of an automobile motor.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction,combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed 'by thedrawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptibleto various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to belimited to the construction disclosed by the drawing, nor to theparticular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to allsuch changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of my instrument.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the lens for my instrument.

FIG. 4 isa front elevational view of my instrument, but omitting thecover and lens, and showing the outer casing broken away.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of my instrument; butomitting the outer casing and electric light.

As illustrated, my instrument has an outer, hollow casing having a back12 with a countersunk hole 13 therethrough. Extending into said casing19 is a holder or housing 14 having a back 16 to which a nut 18 isfixedly attached opposite a hole 20 in the latter back. A screw 22extends through said hole 13 and also a bushing 23, whichscrew-threadedly connects with said nut 18 thus attaching said holder 14to the casing 10.

An angular supporting bracket 24 is riveted as at 26 to the outside ofsaid holder 14. An electric socket 28 is attached to said bracket 24 andit holds a light bulb 30 that receives electric current through theusual wiring 32.

Said holder 14 has a projecting front rim 34 circumferentially outwardof dials 40 and 50 later described. Said rim has an outer edge portion36 peripherally engaging the inner peripheral surface of a cover 56later referred to. An arcuate portion of said rim outer edge portion ispeened down as at 38 or a depressed portion is otherwise provided,leaving a space 72 later referred to.

As shown, an inner dial member 40, having indicia 42 3,246,134 PatentedApr. 12, 1966 thereon, is provided. A pointer 44 is fixed to a pin 46that extends through said dial 40 and is attachable to well-knownactuating means, not shown, such as vacuum responsive mechanisms. Saiddial member 40 has a mounting block 47 held to said holder 14 by twoscrews 48.

An outer dial 50, having a central opening 52 of a size to fit aroundthe periphery of said inner dial 40, has numeric indicia 54 thereon.Said two dials constitute the indicating means in this illustration; butthe number of dials used, whether one or two or more, is inconsequentialto this invention. When the foregoing dials are used, I preferably havethe inner dial 40 of a relatively light color and the outer dial 50 of arelatively dark color. For instance, the inner dial may be white or madeof aluminum, while the outer dial may be black.

My instrument has a hollow cover 56 having an inwardly extending rim 58that extends from the cover outer edge inwardly and terminates in afiat, radial surface 66 that provides a stop member for a lens 64 laterreferred to. Inw-ardly of said flat surface 60 is a retainer orpositioning lug 62 projecting inwardly from the inner periphery of saidcover.

A transparent lens 64 fits inside said cover and contacts said flat stopsurface 60. It has two light transmitting members 66 and 68, projectingangularly inward from the main face of said lens. They also projectradially outward, slightly beyond the outer peripheral lens edge andslightly forward and rearward of said dials 40 and 50. Said positioninglug 62 extends into said space 70 when the lens is properly positionedin the cover 56.

Said space 72 is left between the inner peripheral surface of the cover56 and the holder depressed portion 38. Into said space 72 said lighttransmitting members 66 and 68 enter. Thus light provided by said bulb30 passes through said members 66 and 68 illuminating said dials 40 and50 to provide the maximum visibility thereof without interfering shadowsor glare, especially when driving at night.

What I claim is:

1. An indicating instrument comprising an outer casing, a cover, aholder extending into said outer casing embodying a dial and a rim:circumferentially outward of said dial, said rim extending into saidcover and peripherally engaging the latter and having a depressedportion to thereby provide a space between said lens and an adjacentportion of said cover, a lens extending into said cover and beingforwardly of said dial and embodying light transmitting means extendingangularly from the main face thereof into said space, illuminating meansin said casing rearwardly of said space, and means attaching said holderto said casing, said cover having a positioning lug at its innerperipheral surface, said light transmitting means embodying two lighttransmitting members spaced apart, said positioning lug extending intothe latter space.

2. An indicating instrument as set forth in claim 1 in which said coverembodies an inwardly extending rim terminating in a flat radial surfaceintermediate the front and rear extremities of said cover providing stopmeans, said lens extending to said flat surface, said positioning lugterminating adjacent said flat surface.

3. An indicating instrument comprising an outer casing, a cover, aholder extending into said outer casing embodying a dial and a rimcircumferentially outward of said dial, said rim extending into saidcover and peripherally engaging the latter and having a depressedportion to thereby provide a space between said lens and an adjacentportion of said cover, a lens extending into said cover and beingforwardly of said dial and embodying light transmitting means extendingangularly from the main face thereof into said space, illuminating meansin said casing rearwardly of said space, means attaching said holder tosaid casing, said cover embodying a positioning lug at its innerperipheral surface, said light transmitting means embodying two lighttransmitting members spaced apart, extending radially outward beyond theperipheral outer edge of said lens,said positioning lug extending intosaid latter space, said cover embodying an inwardly extending rimterminating in a flat, radial surface intermediate the front and rearextremities of said cover 10 providing stop means, said lens ext-endingto said flat sur face, and supporting means attached to said holder andwithin said casing, said illuminating means being supported by thelatter supporting means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,143,174 1/1939Stuerzl. 2,317,182 4/1943 Dickson et a1. 2402.1 2,680,813 6/1954 Doyle24 0--2.l

NORTON ANSI-1BR, Primary Examiner. EVON c. BLUNK, Examiner.

J. F. PETERS, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN INDICATING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN OUTER CASING, A COVER, AHOLDER EXTENDING INTO SAID OUTER CASING EMBODYING A DIAL AND A RIMCIRCUMFERENTIALLY OUTWARD OF SAID DIAL, SAID RIM EXTENDING INTO SAIDCOVER AND PERIPHERALLY ENGAGING THE LATTER AND HAVING A DEPRESSEDPORTION TO THEREBY PROVIDE A SPACE BETWEEN SAID LENS AND AN ADJACENTPORTION OF SAID COVER, A LENS EXTENDING INTO SAID COVER AND BEINGFORWARDLY OF SAID DIAL AND EMBODYING LIGHT TRANSMITTING MEANS EXTENDINGANGULARLY FROM THE MAIN FACE THEREOF INTO SAID SPACE, ILLUMINATING MEANSIN SAID CASING REARWARDLY OF SAID SPACE, AND MEANS ATTACHING SAID HOLDERTO SAID CASING, SAID COVER HAVING A POSITIONING LUG AT ITS INNERPERIPHERAL SURFACE, SAID LIGHT TRANSMITTING MEANS EMBODYING TWO LIGHTTRANSMITTING MEMBERS SPACED APART, SAID POSITIONING LUG EXTENDING INTOTHE LATTER SPACE.